The IP wiki and the Room 6 manifesto - latest news

Earlier this month the IPKat posted an item concerning the Room 6 Manifesto - a proposal for a free-to-use all-embracing intellectual property manifesto, to be run and updated by its users and for its users. Well, things have progressed rapidly since then.

Right: Wiki (artwork found on J. Retmeijer's Captain's Blog)

Following the Room 6 meeting, the Intellectual Property Institute, London, indicated that it would strongly encourage the submission of a proposal for initial funding - enough to see the IP wiki designed for user-friendliness and stocked with enough current IP legal materials to give it the critical mass of information that would make it viable. IPKat team member Jeremy has had a go at putting this submission together. BUT, before the submission is made, it only seems right and proper to give everyone who is interested the chance to comment on it. If possible, can you please make your amendments, comments and suggestions by Friday 31 August so that the proposal can be sent to the Institute during the first week of September.

Martin Farley has kindly uploaded the draft proposal on to his IPdailyupdate wiki so that anyone who is interested in it can read it, comment on it (there's a 'comments field for that very purpose) and even have a go at editing it. If you'd like to have a go, you can visit the proposal online here. If you'd rather receive a version as a Word document, or if you'd like to add your name to the email circular list of people interested in being kept informed about the progress of this project, email the IPKat here.

One other item of news - the project (which is not intended to be limited to specifically UK law) has attracted the attention of a number of people at the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM - the body responsible for administering the European Community trade mark and design systems).

Left: kats can help save money, by going the wiki route (moneybank cats here)

The IPKat is delighted that this august body is interested, and won't even make any suggestive comments about how nice it would be if some of OHIM's treasure trove of seemingly unspendable money (believed to be more than 200 million euro) could be steered towards kick-starting this exciting project.